Clandestine
by Seiji and Shizuku 4ever
Summary: Crumbling down the walls around Izumo's heart and seeing what lies beyond her guard wasn't easy, but good things never come without effort. Though, the conundrum was the fun of it - a little mystery kept things interesting. /Rizumo/


**A/N: **Hello, hello! This is my first attempt at a Blue Exorcist drabble in general. From the very beginning to when I watched the anime to where I finished the manga, I knew that Rizumo was my ship. I just think they're so adorable, and I wanted to give this lovely couple a tribute since they're so underappreciated. An acquaintance of mine, Seth, with whom I RP Rizumo, gave me the inspiration for this story! He's the only person alive that probably ships Rizumo as hard as I do. Thanks so much for all the fanrants, RPs, and overall fun, Seth! This is dedicated to you!

I hope I can do this pairing justice, and that you all enjoy! This is how I think Rin and Izumo's dynamics would play out if they ever did become an item.

Disclaimer: If I owned Ao no Exorcist, Rin and Izumo would be together already. Case and point.

* * *

Rin entered his room, arms laden with snacks, and blinked at the sight that greeted him. "Through with that issue already?"

The twintailed tamer whom he was addressing didn't even spare him a cursory glance. She was perched in front of his manga collection, surveying each volume with focused scarlet eyes. "You really need to organize these better," was her only critical remark.

"Then I wouldn't be able to find anything," Rin retorted as he set the snacks on his bed and crouched down beside Izumo.

"Where's the logic in tha-" Izumo began to fiercely counter, but Rin interrupted her without meaning to.

"There it is. How did you miss it?" He grinned at her as he reached out and carefully withdrew a manga, somehow managing to do so without causing the wobbling tower of manga to topple over. A skill he'd acquired through lots of practice and much trial and error.

Izumo narrowed her eyes at him in lieu of a response and made a move to snatch it, but Rin teasingly held it up out of her reach. "Give me a kiss and I'll give you this."

She scoffed, but there was no mistaking the warmth that dusted her cheeks. "Nice try. Hand it over." At that moment, Kuro hopped up onto his shoulder. The sudden weight startled him, causing him to drop the manga into Izumo's outstretched hands. Almost as if it'd been planned...

Izumo visibly brightened and extended a hand to affectionately pat Kuro's head, cooing a "thank-you".

...Yep. It'd definitely been planned.

"How could you betray me like that, Kuro?" Rin tried to sound accusing, but amusement seeped into his voice anyway.

_"She always scratches my chin in just the right spot-" _Almost as if she'd heard him, though Rin knew she couldn't, Izumo slipped her hand downwards to scratch underneath the demon kitty's chin. Kuro visibly relaxed. _"Yeeeahh, just like that."_

Rin couldn't repress a smile. He loved getting to see Izumo's soft side that she normally kept strictly under wraps. The fact that close to nobody else got to witness it made it even more special to him.

Over a month ago, Rin had found out about Izumo's secret love for shoujo manga and animals. Which had been quite a feat; the reclusive and cryptic Izumo was a tough nut to crack. He couldn't help feeling just a little bit triumphant. They'd formed a close friendship over their mutual interests, and it hadn't been long afterward when Rin had dared to make a move on her. He'd expected rejection, but Izumo had been surprisingly accepting. Now they were more or less unofficially together, but since Izumo didn't want anyone to know about it, they had to keep their relationship a secret from everyone. Something Rin was disgruntled about; it was hard seeing her at school and having to act like he _wasn't _crazy about her. It was hard finding a way to spend alone time with her. But most of all, it was hard to see Izumo acting so indifferent to him in public.

Today, Yukio had gone out on a mission, so Rin had the abandoned dormitory completely to himself. He'd invited Izumo over under the pretense of studying, but she'd taken the excuse very seriously. She'd taken one step into his room, seen his overflowing stack of homework and assignments, and chided, "When will you ever learn not to procrastinate? You're not leaving your desk until you get every bit of this done. Come on, I guess I might as well help out." Though the schoolwork was unpleasant, Rin had been glad to spend time with her nonetheless.

At last, they'd finished it all and were now rewarding themselves with their favorite pastime. Izumo took the manga and leaned back against the bed, absently grabbing a box of Pocky from the mattress. Rin took one of his favorite issues that never got old despite how many times he reread it and joined her side, smiling to himself at the way Kuro immediately curled up in her lap.

They eased into a comfortable, companionable silence as they read. Well- Izumo read. Rin mostly just watched her read out of the corner of his eye. He knew she hated the way her brows creased when she was concentrated, but he loved it. He thought it was cute, in a way. It wasn't until Izumo stuck another piece of pocky into her mouth that Rin turned to fully face her, his undivided interest piqued.

"Izumo." The violet-haired exwire gave no indication that she'd even heard him. "Izumooo." Silence again. Rin had become accustomed to this, the way Izumo got lost in her reading. So, he resorted to the only thing that would undoubtedly get her attention. "Oi, Eyebrows."

Her reaction was immediate. Izumo's head snapped up, her crimson eyes reminiscent of flames. But before she could speak around the piece of pocky between her teeth, Rin leaned in to chomp into the other end of the pocky, nibbling at it until his lips were against hers. Then he broke off the remaining pocky and leaned back with a smirk as he chewed, gauging her reaction. Heat had encompassed her entire face, her equally-as-red eyes wide. He loved it when he was able to stun her into silence like that.

Izumo's reddened face promptly contorted into a scowl, her cheeks sullenly puffing out. She hated it when he embarrassed her like that. Despite the fierce intention behind her expression, endearment tugged at Rin. She looked so freaking adorable. Acting on impulse before she could verbally react, Rin framed her face with his hands to keep her in place and swiftly moved in to kiss her.

A choked noise of surprise from the back of her throat that didn't quite leave her lips sounded, and Izumo pushed her hands against his shoulders as if to shove him away, but instead gripped fistfuls of his sleeves. Appeased, Rin slightly lowered his hands to caress her jawline as he kissed her with fervor. Izumo halfheartedly tried to pull back a time or two, but Rin kept leaning in to prohibit any gap between them and prolong the kiss, and she finally admitted defeat; returning the kiss rather than merely just accepting it. Rin felt a tingle of delight course through him - the action proved that she wasn't only a recipient, but also a participant. He lowered his arms to encircle around her petite frame and gradually ease her into his lap, expecting her to resist, but she didn't; only followed his beckoning with surprising compliance. Positively enthralled, Rin deepened the kiss, and she responded in kind.

The series of repetitive kisses ended only when Kuro pawed insistently at Rin's leg. _"Rin! Rin! Your brother's home!" _It took a dazed Rin several moments to register the words, and once he did he jerked back; hearing the telltale sounds of Yukio walking down the corridor. "Crap! Yukio's back!" he whispered, his azure eyes widening. "...I guess the gig's up," he added after a moment, almost hopefully.

Izumo reacted immediately, her eyes rounding before instantly narrowing. "I'm not giving up that easily, idiot," she hissed, sliding out of his lap and diving under his bed. "Don't let him know I'm here, got it?!"

Well. It was worth a shot. Rin sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah.." he muttered. Not even a second passed before the door opened, revealing his twin brother. "Hey, Yukio. You're back early."

"Good afternoon, Nii-san," Yukio greeted, then stopped, doing a doubletake at his bed. Rin felt his chest tighten. "...Why is there so much food on your bed? Are you that hungry?" Rin discreetly sighed in relief.

"Y-yeah! You bet, I'm starved as hell."

Yukio's eyes narrowed behind his spectacles, seeing the manga littered at Rin's side. "Shouldn't you be doing your homework? Put the manga away."

"I already did it."

"Don't argue with m-" Yukio stopped, doing a second doubletake; looking astonished. "...Wait. What did you just say?"

"I said I already finished up my homework. It's all there on my desk, take a look if you don't believe me." Rin wore a cheeky grin as his tail swished, lightly rocking side to side with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees.

Yukio did so, paging through all the assignments. It was all neatly folded on his desk. ..._Neatly. _With Rin, everything was always askew and haphazard. Yukio gave his twin a wary sidelong glance. "...Are you feeling sick, Nii-san?"

"Eh? Is it that hard to believe that I did all my homework, you four-eyed moleface?!" Rin huffed indignantly.

"...Well, yes, to be frank."

"Whatever."

Yukio adjusted his glasses, maintaining a suspicious gaze at Rin before at last deciding not to question this good fortune. "Anyway, I need to run by the Exorcist Shop. Since you're finished with your work, you can join me, if you'd like."

"Nah, I'll pass." Upon receiving another dubious glance from Yukio, Rin hastily added, "...I'm at this really good part in the manga."

Normally, Rin would jump at the chance to visit Shiemi. Yukio concluded that he shouldn't question this good fortune, either. It was rare that he ever got to see Shiemi by himself nowadays. "..Very well. I'll return shortly." Yukio deposited some of his equipment, but kept the key that allowed him to travel almost anywhere he wished, before taking his leave.

Rin waited until he heard the shut of a door from somewhere in the dorm before peering under the bed. "'Kay, the coast's clear."

Izumo finally crawled out into view, coughing. She was _covered _in dust. "Jeez, haven't you ever heard of dusting?" she sneezed, sourly pulling a cobweb out of her hair.

* * *

The bell that indicated it was lunchtime allowed a reprieve from the cram school. Rin seated himself at the True Cross Academy's fountain with his homemade bento. However, instead of opening it, he withdrew his cell phone to send Izumo a text asking if they could meet at the fountain for lunch. He never got a response, but not even ten minutes later, Izumo emerged onto the premises, a tray of food she'd purchased at the fancy cafeteria in hand. Rin brightened, invitingly patting the spot beside him as he exclaimed, "You came!"

"Yeah, well, it's not like I _wanted_ to spend my lunch with you. Moriyama was sitting with Paku-chan and me, so I wanted to leave, anyway." Izumo haughtily sniffed, her pigtails swishing as she sat beside him. "They were so busy talking, they hardly noticed me leaving."

Rin took a piece of tempura with his chopsticks and held it out to her. Izumo accepted the bite with the sound of a cute nom that made him smile, heat flitting across her cheeks. He knew she could never resist his cooking. "How is it?"

"Not bad," Izumo answered, but the approval in her voice contradicted her apathetic response. A brief silence lapsed, one that Izumo broke after several moments. "...Hey, Rin."

Rin eagerly fixated his rapt attention to her, inquiring around a mouthful of food, "Yeah?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Izumo berated, her nose crinkling in disdain. "That's gross."

He made a point to swallow before addressing her again. "Sorry. What is it?"

Izumo heaved a sigh, as if heavily reluctant to voice her thoughts. "...Didn't you like her?" she finally muttered, almost inaudibly, averting her gaze from him.

Rin processed the query for several moments before it finally dawned on him. "Eh? You mean Shiemi?"

"Who else?" Izumo snapped, then thought better of it and added, "Don't answer that."

Rin felt his cheeks heat up, absentmindedly reaching a hand up to rub the back of his head. He'd indeed been smitten with Shiemi for a long time. "...Yeah, I guess. What of it?"

Izumo pondered over this, her lips pursing. Were girls like Shiemi his type? She suddenly felt almost...inferior, and that irritated her. She had more important things to worry about than crap like this. "Then why me?!" she finally blurted out, ferociously, then gritted her teeth. Why was she so hung up over something so stupid? Why did she even care?

Rin surveyed her in surprise, watching as her usual collected and snippy composure faltered to reveal... something akin to vulnerability. Softening, he grinned despite himself and tried to peer into her line of view. She stubbornly turned away from him. "Well.. you're a mystery, Izumo. You intrigue me. Why else do people keep reading a good manga? Because they're so interested they want to find out more. You know?"

Izumo turned taut in surprise; bestowing wide, touched, shimmering eyes in his direction as color engulfed her face. "Rin..." She couldn't say anything more. She was rendered speechless.

Rin leaned forward, treading the ground with caution. Izumo put up a front similar to a snarky, angry bull; but he'd come to find out she was more like a skittish deer, ready to pull or even run away at the first sign of movement when you tried to take a step forward. Azure eyes met crimson and their gazes locked. Just when Izumo began to lean in as well, she abruptly stiffened and jerked back, giving his shoulder an urgent shove. Rin recognized the gesture that indicated someone was coming, and he sighed before putting lots more space between them.

Seconds later, Shima strode into view, then stopped. "Izumo-chaaan!" he sang out her name as he flounced up to her, carrying a lunch. "Would you like to eat lunch with me today? I saved you a spot." His voice conveyed an imploring lilt. Rin felt a twinge of...envy? Was this how Izumo had felt about Shiemi concerning him?

"You ask me everyday, and the answer's always the same. Take a hint. What part of no don't you understand?" Izumo's voice was clipped.

"Aw, c'mon. You can't keep playing hard to get forever. You gotta throw me a bone every once in a while."

Izumo set down her chopsticks, her eyes flashing. "I'm not playing at anything. I just really don't give a damn about you. Now beat it so I can eat in peace." Shima's jaw dropped, then snapped shut before he left dejectedly without another word.

...Rin couldn't help feeling a little smug.

* * *

Rin pranced toward the girls' dormitory with a spring in his step, speed-dialing Izumo's number and holding his cell phone to his ear.

"What is it now, Rin?" Izumo's impatient voice drifted into his line of hearing.

Rin was almost elated to hear her voice, no matter how listless it sounded. "Is Paku there?"

"No, she's out. Why?" Izumo paused, then continued with realization, not letting him answer. "_No, _Rin. I'm busy studying. Don't bother me." Before he could retort, he heard the dial tone. She'd hung up.

Undeterred, Rin dashed in and made a beeline for her room, knocking. It was only seconds before Izumo opened the door, but to him it felt like an eternity. She was donning pajama pants and a tanktop, her amethyst tresses pulled back into a bun. Rin inwardly marveled at how she always looked breathtaking, no matter what she was wearing or how she styled her hair.

"Do you _ever _listen?" Izumo demanded with an edge to her voice, blocking the doorway to prohibit his entrance. "I said no."

Rin flashed her a cheeky grin, holding up his duffel bag. "Will you still say no when I show you... this?" He retracted a dvd from the bag. It was Byakku no Railgun, a movie based off one of their favorite manga series. It was a shounen, which normally wasn't Izumo's taste (she preferred shoujo), but he'd convinced her to read the series since it was his favorite and she'd ended up loving it.

Izumo's eyes widened, reflecting a gleam of enraptured interest, before narrowing at him. "...You're bribing me."

"I'll just go home and watch it without you if you don't want to," Rin challenged, a corner of his mouth upturning in a smirk.

Izumo assessed him with a hard stare for several seconds before finally stepping back and opening the door wider, resigned to her defeat. Rin snickered as he skipped in with triumph.

"I'll get it set up if you make some popcorn," Izumo wagered, shutting the door and snatching the dvd out of his hands.

Overcome with elation, Rin abruptly grabbed her from behind and pulled her back against him in a hug. She started, sputtering, "H-hey! Let go of me!"

"It's a deal!" Rin kissed the top of her head before scampering off, smiling like an enamored idiot. Izumo shook her head with a longsuffering huff, but smiled to herself once her back was turned.

* * *

Rin and Izumo sat on the loveseat with a bowl of popcorn between them, but not long into the movie, Rin impulsively scooped up Izumo and pulled her into his lap. She provided halfhearted resistance, but soon consented and nestled against him, muttering something about how she didn't feel like moving.

They both provided commentary on the movie, Izumo's characteristically cynical remarks quite a contrast from Rin's enthusiastic ones. But he could tell she enjoyed the movie, just by the way her transfixed gaze never left the screen.

At one point, they both reached for popcorn at the same time and their hands ended up brushing. Rin vaguely noted that the occurrence reminded him of something he'd read in a cliche shoujo manga. His hand lingered in place, and he was pleased to find hers did as well. Before the opportunity could pass him by, he brazenly clasped her hand. He felt Izumo go slightly rigid against his chest, but after a few moments she entwined her fingers between his, and it felt like his heart was soaring.

They both only half-watched the movie from then on, content. Near the ending, when Rin had finally just gotten most of his focus back on the movie, he was jolted from his reverie by the sensation of... was Izumo.. nuzzling his neck?

As bold as Rin was with showing her affection, the moment she happened to reciprocate in any way - since it was so rare for her - it flustered him. He felt searing heat crawl up his neck and flare across his face. Rin squeezed her hand, feeling almost dizzy from the onslaught of emotions she always elicited from him.

It was then that he realized he was perfectly content with having Izumo all to himself without anyone knowing. Stolen moments like these... had a thrilling, magical feeling to them. He wouldn't push Izumo into anything she was uncomfortable with; he would take things at her pace. He was more than happy to, because as long as he had her, nothing else really mattered. She was special to him, and what they had was special to him, so he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it.

Rin angled his head down, his lips accidentally brushing her ear as he whispered into it, "..Hey. How are you liking this?" But he didn't mean the movie.

Izumo was apparently aware of the underlying significant meaning in the inquiry - he could tell by the way she lightly stiffened from where she was curled up against his chest. After a moment, she answered. "...I'm loving it." There was a pause. "...Now shut up and stop distracting me. I'm trying to watch this."

Euphoria welling within his chest, Rin couldn't suppress a jovial laugh and kissed her cheek. "..Yeah. Me, too."

Izumo tucked her head underneath his chin, and once her expression was beyond his vantage point, she secretly smiled.


End file.
